Li Na and Roger Federer: Two Very Different Champions at Western and Southern Open

Li Na won the Western and Southern Open this year.  So did Roger Federer.  Both are major champions.  But, that's about where the comparisons can stop as these are two very different winners.  While one is the definition of consistent, one is among the biggest mysteries in sports.  Both this week, however, got it done.

Li Na has definitely had an interesting career.  For much of her early career, she was a no name, with nobody really paying attention to her.  Then, an unexpected breakthrough occurred as Li made it to the finals of the Australian Open in 2011.  Then, she won the 2011 French Open over Frencesca  Schiavone, which created a frenzy in China.

After that, however, she just dropped off the map.  Inconsistency was a major problem for Li Na, so much so, that it was hardly a mild surprise when Li lost in the Second Round of Wimbledon to Sorana Cirstea.  How could she go from winning the French Open in 2011 to not even making a quarterfinals appearance in 2012?  Personally, I never thought she would win another tournament!  Well, she proved everyone wrong and won this year's Western and Southern Open.  Will she succeed at the US Open?  Well, if her past performances are any indication, we will not know until she steps on the court at Flushing Meadows.

Now, Roger Federer is another story.  Besides the fact that he has two Olympic medals, including one gold, he has 17 major championships.  In 2004, 2006, and 2007, he won three majors in one year!  He has a career grand slam, too.  He has been to a Quarterfinal in a major for what seems like forever.  He  had recently won Wimbledon 2012.  He is the model of consistency.  So, we knew he would give a great showing at this tournament.

What we did not know however, was that he was going to dominate the tournament, never really being threatened as he took home the crown.  He even continued his resent serge against Novak Djokovic and beat him in straight sets.  Again, he never was a let down, consistent throughout the tournament, until he had won it all.  Like the rest of his career.

Roger Federer and Li Na have much different backgrounds when it comes to their tennis backgrounds. However different their pasts are, however, they both found a way to win one of the main tournaments leading up to the US Open.

Serena Williams Sputters, Falls in Warmup Tournament

Before the Western and Southern Open, Serena Williams was doing amazing.  She had just won gold medals in both singles and doubles at the Olympics.  And did I mention before that she had won both the singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon?  She also won a title in Stanford.  So when she struggled, it was definitely a surprise.

In her first match against Eleni Daniildou, Serena looked lethargic out there.  Even though she won 6-4,  6-3.  The scoreline does not reveal just how close this match was.  Surprisingly enough, Daniidou was pushing Williams all over the court.  One could see the frustration building in Williams' face as she was clearly in shock that some no-name girl could be doing this to her.  When you expect perfection, anything other than that is a disaster.

Then, she took on a familiar foe, Urszula Radwanska.  She had recently beaten her in the Olympics, so one expected Serena Williams to just walk right through her once again on her quest to the tournament title.  That, however, was not the case.  Again, she looked lethargic and sloppy as she slapped balls into the net.  Radwanska did not have the weapons to beat her, though, and fell to Serena in straight sets.  It almost felt during a part of the match that Williams was not winning the points, rather Radwanska was losing them.  The passion was there, the game just was not on Williams' standards.

So, it was not surprising that Serena Williams lost to Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-4.  She was sputtering all week, getting by, but at some point, sputtering objects will break down.  As one can see, Kerber is a defensive player, the type of player that can frustrate Serena.  So, it was no surprise that she fell in straight sets.

This was definitely a disappointing tournament for Serena Williams, as at least I expected her to continue her dominance and win the tournament.  However, we also must recognize that it would be hard to play at such a high level.  Does this mean she will not be a factor at the US Open?  No, but this was a fall to earth for Serena Williams.